Diana continued to stare at Hippolyta, neither wanting to break the silence that had fallen between them. Damian Kyrios was Diana's father, and after years of wanting to know, begging Hippolyta to tell her the truth, Diana wished she was still able to rewind the last minute and not know the truth. Ignorance was indeed bliss.
Damian Kyrios was a vile man. He was a greedy businessman who stomped over anyone and everyone just to get ahead. He was ruthless, he was unforgiving - he was her father. What did that mean for Diana?
"When did you find out?" Hippolyta asked. She released her hold on Diana and watched as the younger woman took a deep breath, shrugged, and laid in the sand.
"I guess I always knew," Diana answered. "The way you spoke about him, the look in your eye whenever his name would come on the news. I wasn't completely sure, however, until a few moments ago."
Hippolyta nodded and laid back, joining Diana in the sand. She stole a glance at her daughter, a small smile on her face, before she let out a small sigh and turned back to stare at the stars. "I was young," Hippolyta explained. "We were acquaintances, having met a few times during business meetings and outings. I was just getting my business started, working hard trying to widen my network and get a footing on earning a steady clientele. Damian had just left his father's company, wanting to break away from his family's control, or at least that's the lie he had told me."
"We met up at a cafe one day. He had wanted to help me with the business, said he had taken notice of how I worked and was impressed. He wooed me under the guise of a helpful third party, building my company to his standards. He courted me, saying everything I wanted to hear."
"Did you love him?" Diana asked. She knew there wasn't much that could break her mother's focus. Damian must've been a great actor, or she must've had strong feelings for him.
Hippolyta closed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the guilt and shame she felt decades later. "I thought I did," she confessed. "And I thought he loved me, but I was just one of the many people conned by Damian Kyrios."
"It wasn't long before I found out Damian had stolen all my clients, blackmailing the people I had worked years trying to gain their trust. He used me to get what he wanted, stealing a deal with the military from underneath my feet, leaving me with practically nothing. Soon after, he started his own company with the names, and the lives, of people who had entrusted me. I never forgave him for that."
Hippolyta turned to face Diana, reached over and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together before she lifted their joined hands and placed a small kiss on the back of Diana's hand. "When I found out I was pregnant with you, I knew I had to work twice as hard. I needed a reputation you'd be proud of, and I wanted to give you a life even better than what your father would give you."
"You never told him?" Diana asked.
Hippolyta shook her head. "The night Damian walked out of my life with everything I had built, I knew I could never see his face without wanting to hurt him, just as he had hurt me. But if I made a move, his family would see to it that I never succeeded in anything. I couldn't do that to you. So, I never spoke to him again. He didn't deserve you. He still doesn't." Hippolyta watched as Diana sat up, dusting the sand from the back of her neck. "I never wanted you to know the feeling of rejection, especially from a man who was supposed to love you."
Diana chuckled. "I understand Mother," she whispered, watching as Hippolyta rose from the sand. "I understand you wanting to protect me, and I am truly grateful. You and Antiope were all I needed." She watched as her mother nodded, breathing out a sigh of relief when she realized Diana did not resent her for keeping her father's identity a secret all these years. "But Bruce is not like Damian," she stated.
"I know that now," Hippolyta said. "And I can see he would never hurt you as Damian hurt me, and for that I am sorry." Hippolyta stood from her spot and offered Diana a hand. Diana placed her hand in her mother's and allowed Hippolyta to pull her from the sand. "Come now," she said, bending to pull her sandals from the sand. "We have much to discuss, but it is getting too cold for this old woman."
Diana only chuckled as she nudged her mother's shoulder and followed her down the beach toward the small road that led back to the house.
July 25. Prince Residence - Santorini. 21:03
Diana let out a sigh as she walked into her bedroom from the adjoining bathroom, her hand massaging the towel through her damp hair as she tried to make certain she had relieved her locks from all the sand. While laying on the beach had been relaxing and nostalgic, it had not at all been practical, and she had found herself wanting to shower as soon as she got home. Hippolyta had promised to finish telling her all she knew of Damian, and tell her the complete story of their relationship had she wanted to know, but Diana knew the woman was tired, and had whisked her off to sleep knowing her mother had to get up before the sun.
Diana took a seat on the edge of her bed, releasing her hair from her towel clad grip, before she placed the towel over the post at the foot of her bed, mentally reminding herself to hang it up before she retired for the night. Today had been a rollercoaster of emotions, between seeing Artemis and Bruce, and learning who her father was. She knew she needed to get some sleep of her own, but she first wanted to reach out to Bruce. She wanted to know if he was okay. When she and Hippolyta had come back from the beach, neither Antiope nor Bruce had been inside. Diana didn't need her mother to confess what she had said to Bruce to know he had left feeling unwelcome; she had later apologized and promised to apologize to Bruce the next time they spoke.
Gently raking her fingers through her damp hair, Diana let out another tired sigh, trying to stifle a yawn. When she was sure most of her hair had been detangled, she stood from the bed and walked over to where her jacket from earlier this morning hung, dug inside the pocket, and pulled out the phone she hadn't seen since this afternoon, having gotten caught up in writing in her notebook and later, the drama downstairs. She quickly unlocked the screen, groaning when the battery at the top of the screen began to flash red. Antiope had always mocked her for never keeping her phone charged enough.
She continued to scroll through her phone, glancing at the log of missed calls. There was one from Paul, who had been in contact with her since she had come to Greece, wanting to check up on his boss even though he had been acting as Head of Security in her absence. She would call him in the morning. There were a few missed calls from work, all of which she would return in the morning when she had had some time to sleep, but the one that caught her eye was the name that had called while she was in the shower. Bruce.
She quickly flipped through her text messages, ignoring everyone else's name until she settled on Bruce's. There was only one message, but it said more than a hundred could ever convey: I'll give you all the time you need. Just know I'm here.
Without another thought, she hit the icon under his name, placing the phone to her ear as it began to ring, hoping that he would pick up, and that her battery would live long enough to let him know she appreciated him being here more than anything.
Bruce picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" he said into the phone, not having had the time to glance at the screen before answering.
"Hi," Diana said softly, trying to stop the giddy feelings that arose in her every time she heard his voice. "It's me."
"Diana," Bruce said, and although she couldn't see him, she knew he was now smiling on the other end of the phone. "About tonight," he began, "I never meant to intrude on-"
"No, it's okay," Diana said, interrupting him. "I'm actually very happy you came." She took a seat on the edge of her bed once more. "You didn't have to come to Greece," she said softly, knowing it was her fault. If she had just talked to him days ago, he wouldn't have felt the need to get on a plane and come here for her.
"Of course I did," he stated. "I needed to make sure you were okay."
Diana blushed. Did this mean he cared for her just as much as she did him? She opened her mouth to speak when a small knock on her bedroom door forced her attention off Bruce. "Come in," she said, watching as the door opened slowly, before Antiope popped her head inside. "Hi," she said to her aunt, pointing to the phone and mouthing Bruce's name.
"Hello," Antiope said, a smirk on her face. "And hello, Bruce," she said even louder, wanting the man on the other end of the call to hear. "Diana, I have a favour to ask of you."
Diana glanced over her shoulder at the clock beside her bed, her eyebrow raising when she saw how late it was. What business did her aunt have this late? She covered the microphone of her cell and whispered, "What could you possibly need this late?" she asked with uncertainty.
Antiope shrugged. "I just need you to pick up something for your mother."
"Diana," Bruce said, "Go ahead. We'll talk uninterrupted later."
Diana nodded, knowing Bruce couldn't see her, and responded, "Okay." She quickly apologized to Bruce before she ended the call, stood from the bed and pulled the jacket from where it was hanging. She pulled the jacket over her body and placed the phone into her right pocket, before she turned back to her aunt. "Where am I going?" she asked.
Antiope chuckled. "Somewhere where you'll need pants," she said with a laugh, glancing down at her niece's sleeping shorts.
Diana glanced down at what she was wearing and gave a nervous chuckle. Without a word she changed into a pair of jeans and grabbed the piece of paper Antiope held up, an address scribbled across the front, shaking her head as she walked out of the room wondering why she was doing this with little hesitation.
When Diana arrived at the address Antiope provided, she quickly let out a sigh, wishing she had taken up Antiope's offer for a ride, instead of walking at night. She wanted nothing more than to get back home and to sleep. The day had been rough, and she knew a little sleep could help both her physically and mentally, but knowing how busy her mother was, she was more than happy to help out a bit. Maybe she would just hail a taxi back home.
As she made her way to the front of the villa, she wondered what she could have possibly needed to do here. Was it a contract that Hippolyta needed to sign? Was it a new hire who had paperwork for Antiope? It was late, and it was a bit unusual for the two of them to send Diana to do anything business related, but she didn't question it too much. She walked up to the front door and knocked loudly, listening to the rustling around from whoever was inside as they made their way to the front door. The door opened and Diana held her breath when she saw who was standing in the doorway, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Bruce standing there.
"Hi," Bruce said softly, a smirk on his face. He had spoken with Antiope earlier that evening, and Diana's aunt had promised she would get her niece to speak to him, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon.
"Hi," Diana said, responding once she was able to get over her shock. "I see you and my aunt are working together."
Bruce let out a laugh as he moved aside, allowing Diana into the villa, closing the door once she was inside. "Your aunt is very persuasive, is she not?"
Diana nodded. "Most people think it is my mother who is the smooth talking one, but my aunt can hold her own." She walked over to the sofa and took a seat on one end, watching as Bruce took a seat at the other, before she let out a sigh. "It's a good thing she likes you."
Bruce nodded in agreement. He was very happy to know he had Antiope on his side. Now all he had to do was convince Hippolyta that he would never intentionally hurt her daughter. "Well I have that going for me," he said, turning to face Diana, watching the exhaustion on her face as she fell into the cushion and let her head fall back. "I'd offer you a glass of wine, but it looks like a cozy bed would be more in order."
Diana chuckled. "Bruce Wayne," she began, lifting her head to lock eyes with him, "are you trying to get me back in your bed?"
Bruce's shoulders betrayed him as they shrugged involuntarily, his head shaking trying to distract her from what his heart truly wanted. "There are tons of beds here, I'm sure you could find one far enough away from me."
"Aw," Diana said, the look of disappointment flashing across her face, before she smirked. "I was so looking forward to spooning," she teased. "But only if I get to be the little spoon for once."
Bruce let out a hearty laugh. "Deal." He forgot how natural the flirty banter between the two of them came. It was so effortless, so easy to get lost in a conversation with Diana that felt so natural. "But you know what happens with spooning?" Diana raised an eyebrow, asking him to continue. "Forking."
Diana laughed, placing her hand over her face as her shoulders displayed just how hard she was laughing. "We'll see," she said with a smirk, teasing the man. She gently kicked off her shoes and placed them beside the couch, knowing she was going to be here for a while. She watched as Bruce raised an eyebrow at her comment, before he tugged on his collar and shook his head. She was always such a flirt and it was nice to see her returning to the same Diana he had fallen in love with. "But a glass of wine would be nice," she said, "I know we have a lot to talk about."
"I know you're tired," Bruce said, standing from the sofa. "We can talk after you've had some rest."
"I'm okay, Bruce," she said. She watched as he tilted his head, challenging what she had said. "Seriously, I'm okay."
Bruce nodded. "I'll be right back then," was all he said before he disappeared from the room, vanishing behind the corner that led to the kitchen, only to reappear minutes later with two glasses of wine in his hands. He walked up to Diana and handed her a glass, before he settled back onto his sofa cushion, his own glass firmly in his hand.
"So," he said, attempting to start the much needed conversation. He took a sip of the red wine, hoping it would silence his brain enough to start the sentence he needed to voice.
"So," Diana mimicked, taking a sip of her own wine. She noticed Bruce as he stared at her, knowing his brain was going a million miles a minute. "I'm sorry about my mother," she stated, taking another sip from the glass.
"It's understandable," Bruce said, "she worries for you. She loves you and she only wants the best. I just need to let her know that I'm not-"
"My father," Diana interrupted. Bruce nodded. "My father is Damian Kyrios." Bruce nodded once more. "How long have you known?"
"I had my suspicions for a while," he answered. "How did you find out?"
Diana shrugged. "I think a part of me knew, but my mother told me tonight."
"And how do you feel about that?"
Diana took a sip of her wine and shrugged once more. "I guess I understand why she wanted to keep it from me. All my life I've known Damian was a terrible man, and now that I know I'm his daughter, I wonder if I'm going to be the same way."
Bruce placed his glass of wine on the table in front of them and reached over, taking Diana's glass from her hand. He placed it on the table beside his glass before he reached over and grabbed her hand in his. "You are nothing like that man," Bruce whispered. "You are so compassionate, so beautiful. You think of everyone else before you think of yourself. You are the furthest thing from Damian." Bruce watched as Diana gave him a forced smile, knowing she was still caught up in the thought of becoming like her father. He watched as her eyebrows knit together as she thought of him, how he had torn so many families apart, using them for his own selfish gain. Diana had warned Bruce of Damian when he had first sought him out for a business deal, and the more he learned of the man, the more he realized he should've listened to Diana in the beginning.
"I'm sorry," Bruce finally said, ending Diana's thoughts, watching as she unfurrowed her brows and stared up at him. "I'm sorry I never listened to you about him. I'm sorry that I was so focused on advancing the company to not realize how much I was missing. And I'm sorry for not being a better support for you, in everything."
Diana continued to stare at Bruce, unsure of what to say. The two of them had never talked about where they went wrong. They never bothered to speak of the miscarriage, and although she had given her own mind some resolve, a part of her felt she needed to know exactly what was going on in his head. She wanted him to be open.
"When you first told me you were pregnant, I'll admit I was scared. I had lost my parents when I was young, I didn't know what it was like to be a father. I didn't want that responsibility." He watched as Diana cringed and his hand gently squeezed hers as he continued, "But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized this was what I wanted. Being with you, realizing that I was going to have a baby with the woman I had fallen in love with, was such a joy, and then when the miscarriage happened, I wasn't able to process things as quickly as you had. I was in denial, until you left, and then I was angry at myself for letting you think I didn't care."
Bruce looked up to see Diana staring at him, her lips pressed firmly together to keep herself from tearing up. He knew some part of her brain was still caught up on the fact that he had just said he had fallen in love with her, but he needed everything off his chest before he let her speak. "I wanted to come here to tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you feel like we had to hide everything. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner how much you mean to me, and I'm sorry for not saying it sooner, but I love you, Diana."
Diana continued to stare at Bruce, her lips twitching into a smile as she replayed his latest confession. Bruce was in love with her. And although she knew she was in love with him, she was afraid to speak such words aloud, fearing she would wake and it would all have been a dream. She was afraid she would wake up in her bed, staring at her mother's ceiling, cursing herself for leaving Gotham in the first place.
Bruce placed his hand on Diana's thigh, bringing her focus back to him. He stared at her with those blue eyes that could make her forget her own name, his lips cautiously dancing the line between a playful smirk and a concerned smile. He knew she had heard everything he had said and he wanted to give her time to fully grasp his confession, but the way she was staring at him made him concerned. "Diana?" he whispered.
Diana only responded by leaning forward, placing her hand on his cheek, before she kissed him. Without hesitation Bruce's hands shifted from where they had been and wrapped around Diana, holding her close to him as her fingers delicately danced over the stubble that covered his face. Her free hand ran through his hair and she smiled as memories of them laying together in his bed, Bruce asleep on her chest as she let her fingers comb through his hair, flooded back.
Without warning Diana pulled back, a smile on her face as she rested her forehead against his. It took all of her self control not to let this man tear off every piece of clothing she wore, but she knew she still needed time. They both did. There was still much to discuss.
"I love you too," she whispered, running her hand through his hair once more. She tried to stifle a yawn as Bruce released her from his arms, turning to the side to avoid him seeing just how tired she was.
"We will talk more," he said, "but for now I have a surprise for you."
Diana raised an eyebrow as Bruce stood from the sofa and grabbed her hand, pulling her up without a word. He led her to the end of the room and opened the door that had been shut all night, a smile on his face when he saw the sleepy dog lift his tired head and stare at the duo. "Ace, my beautiful boy," Diana squealed as she dropped onto the floor beside the dark mass of fur.
Ace, now fully aware that Diana was here, jumped up and into her lap, letting out happy barks as his favorite person continued to scratch every part of his back and belly. Bruce watched the two, a smile on his face as he realized this was what he wanted to see every night. He wanted to make a home with Diana, and he wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of that dream.
